Ridgers warned of legislation that could negatively impact education

Oak Ridge Board of Education members say area residents need to stay abreast of potentially harmful education-related bills that are now before the Tennessee General Assembly — and let their opinions be known to their state legislators.

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By Donna Smith/Staff

Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

By Donna Smith/Staff

Posted Feb. 27, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Updated Feb 27, 2013 at 7:34 PM

By Donna Smith/Staff

Posted Feb. 27, 2013 at 7:33 PM
Updated Feb 27, 2013 at 7:34 PM

Oak Ridge Board of Education members say area residents need to stay abreast of potentially harmful education-related bills that are now before the Tennessee General Assembly — and let their opinions be known to their state legislators.

“There’s a lot going on that would have a major impact on education,” Board Chairman Keys Fillauer said during Monday night’s Board meeting at the School Administration Building on New York Avenue.

The city School Board, along with Interim School Superintendent Robert Smallridge and Larrissa Henderson, interim assistant school superintendent, visited state lawmakers as part of the Tennessee School Boards Association’s annual “Day on the Hill” in Nashville last week. They were joined by many other school boards from across the state.

Board member Angi Agle said one bill calls for a statewide charter authority to be given the right to allow charter schools to open. Currently, she said, local school boards are the local education authority for charter schools.

Agle said the local school board needs to keep that right because local boards know the students and families that would be served and are better able to see any potential pitfalls.

“This is one I feel very strongly opposed about — that we need to oppose,” Agle said.

Board member Robert Eby said another bill calls for the state to fund a school resource officer for every school in Tennessee. He said this would be wonderful, but added he’d “believe it when I see it.”

The city School Board voted last month to make putting an SRO in every city school its No. 1 priority. City and school officials are talking about this issue and how to fund the cost, which is estimated at approximately $1 million.

Fillauer talked about the issue of school vouchers, in which students could attend private schools and take the money the public school system would receive for each individual student’s schooling with them.

He said he thinks some form of the school voucher program will be approved in the Tennessee General Assembly this year.

The School Board chairman said he sees many obstacles, including public funding perhaps going to religious-based schools. Another could be good students pulling out of low-performing schools at the same time more public funds are being given to these schools to improve students’ education.

Fillauer said the elected vs. appointed school superintendent issue is also coming up, as it does almost every year.

Smallridge said most of the legislation he heard about was negative in regards to education rather than positive.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on that I just don’t agree with,” Board member Dan DiGregorio said. “How’s that for an understatement?”